Combined cigarette case and lighter



Oct. 1, 1935. NYDEN COMBINED CIGARETTE CASE AND LIGHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 6, 1954 Oct. 1, 1935. R NYDEN 2,016,020

COMBINED CIGARETTE CASE AND LIGHTER Fry. .6.

3mm Faber) N yde'r? Patented Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED CIGARETTE CASE AND LIGHTER Application December 6, 1934, Serial No. 756,333

9 Claims.

My invention relates to a combined cigarette case and lighter, and more particularly to a combination of this type in which the lighter operates through catalytic action.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a compact combination of this type in which the cigarettes are securely covered in such a manner as to prevent the possibility of having grains of tobacco spilling out of the cigarette holder when it is closed.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an arrangement in combination with a lighter which can be operated by one hand so as to enable the user to withdraw a cigarette With the other hand and. light it.

Still another object of the invention is to pro Vide, in combination with a case having a roll closure, and which is provided with rounded ends, around which a flexible shutter can move to open or close one face, a cigarette lighter which is shaped so as to fit into the rounded end and thereby to economize space.

A further object is to provide, in a combination of this type, a lighter which is operated by a manually movable member which slides along the top wall of the case, so that the operating mechanism involves no large projections and does not increase the bulk of the whole arrangement.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a lighter which will be covered and concealed by the shutter when the cigarette holder is closed.

There are further novel features in the lighter itself. One of these features involves production 35 of a catalytic lighter in which the catalyst holder is movable and may be moved by a sliding cover to a position in which both the catalyst is sealed from the fuel chamber and the fuel chamber is sealed to prevent the escape of fuel vapors therefrom.

Still another object is to provide a lighter of this type in which the lighter is opened for filling merely by a slight further movement of the cover operating mechanism, and more particularly it involves a latch which normally limits the movement of the cover merely between the open and closed positions, in combination with means which, when the latch is released, will r automatically cause further movement of the cover and release the lighter into a position where it can be filled with fresh fuel.

Furthermore, my invention includes a novel and simple method of making a roll shutter of 55 the type disclosed, this method being more economical and producing a more satisfactory product than those heretofore used.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description particularly when taken in conjunc- .5

tion with the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention showing the shutter partially opened. 10

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side View in section.

Fig. 4 is a partial side view in section showing the lighter in lighting position.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the 15 lighter in refueling position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

The apparatus comprises in general a cigarette container A and a lighter B. The container com- 20 prises a generally rectangular box having a back wall 2, a rounded end wall 4, a top wall 6 and a bottom wall 8. Secured to the bottom wall 8 is a bottom member I0, which is held in spaced relation to the bottom wall 8 by rivets l2 and 25 spacer members 14. A top member It generally similar to member ll] is also provided which is held in spaced relation to the top wall 5 by rivets l8 and a slide 20, the purpose of which will be described below. The members Ill and it are of 30 somewhat-larger dimensions than the walls 5 and 5, and their outer edges are turned inwardly to form continuous flanges 22 providing thus grooves 24.

The front of the container is preferably entire- 3 1y open so as to permit the insertion or removal of cigarettes therefrom. In order to close this open space, I provide a flexible shutter 26. This shutter is composed of a plurality of rigid members 28 extending from top to bottom of the container and secured in close side by side relation on a sheet 30 of cloth or other flexible material. The ends of the members 28 are reduced as at 32, and these reduced ends move in and are guided by flanges 22 and grooves 24. The length of the shutter is greater than the width of the cigarette container, so that an overlap is provided at both ends when the shutter is in a position to close the open front of the cigarette space.

This shutter is preferably formed in a novel fashion. The strips or members 28 are formed of some suitable plastic material such as a phenolic condensation product, or from wood pulp in moldable form. The plastic material is placed in a die the upper member of which is provided a of the casing 34 is a rubber washer 62.

with knife edges while the lower member forms the curved surfaces which comprise the outer face of the shutter in the final product. The knives cut the plastic material into a plurality of adjacent but separated members. The upper die is then removed and the back faces of the strip are coated with a suitable cement. A piece of fabric may then be laid on all the strips simultaneously, and pressed down while setting if necessary, to cause the strips to adhere to As soon as the cement is dry, the

around which the shutter can move without hin-' drance. The casing 34 terminates in a tapered edge 36 at a, point adjacent to but slightly spaced from the top of the container. Within the easing is slidably arranged a catalyst holder consisting of a cup 31 of substantially the same diameter as the casing, from which extends downwrdly an integral tube 38. Below the cup, and arrangedon the tube 38, are a rubber washer 46 of substantially the same diameter as the cup and casing, and which rests against the bottom of the cup, and a spacer member42 having vertical grooves around its periphery, this spacer member being of such diameter as to fit within the cylindrical casing 34. Member 42 is secured in position by a tight friction fit, and thus holds the washer 40 in place below the cup 36,'the washer 48 and member 42 being held in slightly spaced relation by a small metal washer 44,. Within the cup 31, and resting on a shoulder 46, is a catalytic disk or pill 48 of suitablecatalytic material and provided with a center opening 56. The pill is held in the cup 36 by a split spring ring 52.

The tube 38 extends downwardly almost to the bottom of casing 34, and near the bottom is provided with a cuplike disk 54 having apertures 56 therein, this disk being secured by friction on the reduced lower portion 58 of tube 38. The disk 54 serves to secure on the tube 38 suitable porous material 66 which serves to absorb andhold fuel for use in the lighter. This porous material may for instance be composed of absorbent cotton wound around the tube 38, and fitting within the casing 34. On the bottom Between this washer and disk 54, I provide a wall spring 64 surrounding the lower end of the tube, normally urging the tube 38 and thereby the cup 3'! upwardly.

The slide 28 is provided with slots 66 through which the rivets [8 pass so that the slide is guided for longitudinal movement along the length of the top wall. The slide may be'operated by a button'or handle 68 the stem of which passes through aslot 10' in the top member l6 and is suitably secured to the slide. a The sliding having its end normally within the path of the button 68. the tongue being located a the end the upper face of the top member I6.

.of the slot l8, It is obvious that if this tongue" is depressed the button and slide can be moved by a slightly greater distance as the button 68 will pass over the tongue 12.

The other end of the slide serves to open and close m opening 14 provided in the top member IS in alignment with and of substantially the' same diameter as the cup member 31. The opening i4 is provided at opposed points with notches l6 and 18. On the end of the slide 20 is provided an upwardly inclined tongue 88 which is of such size as to fit into slots 76 and I8, and which preferably extends upwardly slightly above This member forms a cam surface because of its inclined position.

The operation of the device will now be explained. It is believed that the operation of the shutter requires little discussion. It can be shifted by hand from a position in which the open face of the container is uncovered, so that cigarettes'can be removed or inserted, to a posi--.

tion in whichthe open face is entirely covered and cigarettes are securely held in position without danger of the escape either of the cigarettes or of tobacco grains from the container. cause of the particular nature of the shutter and its method of manufacture, the same slides easily over and around from one position to'another. It is obvious that the rounded end wall 4 and therounded casing 34permit continuous movement of the shutter in either direction to any desired position.

The lighter is normally in the closed position shown in Fig. 3. In this position, tube 38 engages washer 62 inasmuch as the cup and tube are depressed against the action of spring 64. At the same t-ime, washer 40 engages the beveled edges 36 of the cylinder 34, thereby forming a 'tight seal and effectively preventing the escape of fuel from the fuel cylinder. The slide 20 covers the upper end of cup 31 and thereby'protects the catalyst from damage. As the catalyst is cut off from the fuel, no flooding can'oc'cur.

If now the button 68 is moved back until it strikes the spring tongue 12, the slide 20 will be moved off of the cup 31, and spring 64 will force the cup and tube 38 upwardly, this movement being limited by the tongue 80 which extends beyond the slide and is engaged by the cup after it has moved up a slight distance. As shown in Fig. 4, this movement raises tube 38 off of the washer 62, and at the same time raises washer 40 away from the edge 36. Air 'can now flow through the slots in member 42 down through the fuel holding material 60, and openings 56, and up through tube 38 to the catalyst 48. When a cigarette is placed in contact with the catalyst and suction is applied to it, the catalyst will become hot and will ignite the cigarette. It is obvious that the catalyst is exposed for "use throughthe opening 14.

If now the button 68 is pushed back in the opposite direction, the cam surface of tongue 80 will depress the cup against the action of spring 64 and will move it back to the closed position shown in Fig. 3, the slide 20 then sliding over and covering the catalyst and cup.

If it becomes necessary to supply fuel to the porous material 60, the tongue 12 is depressed. When this is done, the spring 64 will act through cup 31' on the cam surface of tongue 80 and will push the slide 20 over to the position shown in Fig. 5. At the same time, the cup will be raised some distance above the top member IS. The cup Be- I and tube may then be partially or completely removed, and fuel may be supplied to the material 60. The cup is then depressed by hand until it can be reengaged by the tongue 8t, and the movement of the slide then restores the arrangement to its normal condition.

It will be seen that when the slide moves to covering position tongue 80 moves into notch 13, while the depression of tongue 12 when the slide is moved to open position for filling permits the tongue 853 to move into notch l6 so as to clear the opening 14 for the removal of the cup 31.

While I have described herein one embodiment of my invention, it will be quite evident that other specific forms might be made within the scope of my novel concept, and I therefore wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself by the description and drawings except within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising a case adapted to hold cigarettes and having an elongated top wall, a lighter mounted at one end of said case, said lighter including a holder slidable in said body, said body having a fuel chamber thereima catalytic ignition element mounted in said holder, means operated by sliding of said holder downward to cut oil and upward to open communication between said ignition element and said fuel chamber, said top wall extending over said lighter and having an opening in alignment with said holder, means normally urging said holder upward, and means slidable longitudinally of said top wall to depress or i permit upward movement of said holder.

2. A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising a case adapted to hold cigarettes, a lighter mounted at one end of said case and including a body and a member vertically slidable in said lighter body, movement of said member rendering said lighter operative or inoperative, and means slidable longitudinally of the top wall to move said member.

3. A combined cigarette case and lighter com prising a case adapted to hold cigarettes and a lighter mounted at one end of said case including a body member forming a fuel chamber, a cushion member at the base of said body member, a holder slidable in said body, a catalytic ignition element mounted in said holder, means on said holder and operable upon downward sliding movement of the same to close the upper end of said fuel chamber, a tube depending from said holder into said fuel chamber, the bottom of said tube engaging said cushion member when said holder is in depressed position, means normally urging said holder upward so as to separate said tube from said cushion member and to open communication between said fuel chamber and said ignition element, and means slidable longitudinally of the top wall or said case to depress said holder to operate said first named means and to cause said tube to engage said cushion to close communication between the fuel chamber and said ignition element.

4. A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising a case adapted to hold cigarettes, a lighter mounted at one end of said case and including a body member forming a fuel chamber, a rubber gasket at the base of said body member, a holder slidable in said body, a catalytic ignition element mounted in said holder, means on said holder and operable upon downward sliding movement thereof to close said fuel chamber, a tube depending from said holder into said fuel chamber, the bottom of said tube engaging said rubber gasket when said holder is in downward position, means normally urging said holder upward so as to separate said tube from said rubber gasket and to open communication between said fuel chamber and said ignition element, and means slidable longitudinally of the top wall of said case to depress said holder to operate said first named means and to cause said tube to engage said gasket to close communication between the fuel chamber and said ignition element, the top wall of said case having an opening therein in alignment with said holder, said longitudinal slidable means comprising a slide having a cam surface at one end thereof engageable with said holder, and movable into one position to depress the holder and to close said opening, movable to a second position to permit the holder to rise a suflicient distance to open communication between the fuel chamber and the air, and movable to a third position out of the path of the holder to permit the holder to move upwardly a greater distance so that the fuel chamber may be supplied with fuel.

5. A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising a case adapted tohold cigarettes, a lighter mounted at one end of said case and including a body member forming a fuel chamber, a cushion member at the base of said body member, a holder slidable in said body, a catalytic ignition element mounted in said holder, a tube depending from said holder into said fuel chamber, the bottom of said tube engaging said cushion member when said holder is in depressed position, means on said holder operable upon downward movement of the same to close the upper end of said fuel chamber to close communication between the fuel chamber and the air, means normally urging said holder upward so as to separate said tube from said cushion member and to open communication between said fuel chamber and said ignition element, a member secured to said holder and slidable within the upper end of said body and formed to permit a limited amount of air to pass between it and the wall of the fuel chamber to enter the fuel chamber when the holder has been urged upward, and means slidable longitudinally of the top wall of said casing to depress said holder to cause said-tube to engage said cushion to close communication between the fuel chamber and said ignition element.

6. A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising a case having top, bottom and rear walls and at least one rounded end wall, said case having an opening in front to permit the insertion and removal of cigarettes, and adjacent the other end wall a lighter having a body at least the outer wall of which has the same radius of curvature as said rounded end wall, said top wall having an opening above said lighter body, a flexible shutter of a width at least as great as that of said former opening, means to guide said shutter to slide around the back and rounded end wall of the casing and across the front thereof and around the rounded outer wall of the lighter body, whereby said shutter may be moved between one position in which it closes the case and another position in which the case is open to permit the removal of cigarettes therefrom, said shutter being supported in its sliding movement by said rear wall, said rounded end wall and said outer wall of said lighter body.

7. A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising a case having top, bottom and rear walls and at least one rounded end wall, said case having an opening in front to permit the insertion and removal of cigarettes, and adjacent the other end. wall a lighter having a body at least the outer wall of which has the same radius of curvature as said rounded end wall, said top wall having an opening above said lighter body, a flexible shutter of a width at least as great as that of said former opening, means to guide said shutter to move around the back and rounded end wall of V the case and across the front thereof and around the rounded outer wall of the lighter body, whereby said shutter may be moved between one position in which it closes the case and another position in which the case is open to permit the removal of cigarettes therefrom, said top and bottom walls extending above and below said lighter body, said guiding means being located on said top and bottom walls, said shutter being supported in its sliding movement by said rear wall, said rounded end-wall and said outer wall of said lighter body.

8. A combined cigarette case and lighter com prising a case having top, bottom and rear walls and at least one rounded end wall, said case having an opening in front to permit the insertion and removal of cigarettes, and adjacent the other end Wall a lighter having a body at least the outer wall of which has the same radius of curvature as said rounded end wall, saidtop wall having an opening above said lighter body, a flexible shutter of a width at least as great as that of said former opening, means to guide said shutter to move around the back and rounded end wall of the case and across the front thereof and around the rounded outer wall of the lighter body, whereby said shutter may be moved between one position in which it closes the case and another position in which the case is open to permit the removal of cigarettes therefrom, said top and bot-v tom walls extending above and below said lighter body, said guiding means being located on said top and bottom Walls, and comprising inwardly directed flanges on the top and bottom walls forming guide grooves for said shutter, and said shutter being supported in its sliding movement,

by said rear wall, said rounded end wall and said outer wall of said lighter body.

9. A combined cigarette case and lightercomprising a, case having top, bottom and rear walls and at least one rounded end wall, said case having an opening in front to permit the insertion and removal of cigarettes, and adjacent the other end wall a lighter having a body at least the outer wall of which has the same radius of curvature as said rounded end wall, said top wall having an opening above said lighter body, a flexible shutter of a width at least as great as that of said former opening, means to guide said shutter to move around the back and rounded end wall of the 'case and across the front thereof and around gitudinally of the top wall to render said lighter operative and inoperative.

, ROBERT NYDEN. 

